Critical Chaos
by Shadow Sanctuary
Summary: Yugi, stripped of his pride and harboring a broken spirit, must overcome his weaknesses or leave his best friend to suffer. Will Joey fall under the pharaoh's brutal hands, too?
1. Default Chapter

Author's Note: In many of the reviews I had read pertaining to my fan fiction, I discovered that my readers all seemed to have a pretty universal suggestion: to combine my poetry with stories. This is the first actual document that I have incorporated the use of my original poetry with a piece of literature.

Critical Chaos, a very angst-laden story, was developed to be a prelude to Breaking Point. I'm sure all those who have read Breaking Point are wondering who the criminal was that put young Yugi through so much physical and mental pain. Since I had mentioned Seto Kaiba periodically throughout the fic, some viewers even got the notion that he was the one behind the raping of the little duelist's innocence. Although I can understand why people would think that he had brutally punished the spiky-haired boy, I have to break the awful news to them by saying that they have to guess again. As I have been known to state in my fiction, "the truth hurts sometimes," so this particular story is very likely to turn Breaking Point into a very twisted tale indeed.

Disclaimer: For those who frequently read my writing, take extreme caution while exploring the contents of this document. I know you are probably used to seeing my dramatic romance stories, but this fic surpasses the usual boundaries of misfortune and misery. Like always, there is yaoi present within the pages of my writing, and here is a list of the couples: Yugi Mutou and his Yami, Joey Wheeler and Seto Kaiba (I know, it's an odd pair, but they can survive each other ^ ^), and Ryou Bakura and his millennium spirit. This will also be the first piece of literature in which I have introduced a yuri pair, too, which is none other than Mai Valentine and her high school sweetheart, Tea Gardner. High levels of cruel and unusual punishment will be present, along with bad language. Yami Yugi is completely OOC, too. If you happen to be a disciple of the mighty King of Games, I strongly advise you to seek another fic to read…he will not be portrayed well in this story. Please don't E-mail me and chew me out for being nasty or abusing the pretty bishie, for I never intended to destroy his reputation. I only wanted to write something completely original that no one has ever dared to compose on his or her monitor screen.

Chapter One: The Beginning of the End

/Critical chaos

Morbid mayhem

Sanity's loss 

From which this stems /

"I hate myself!" I cried out in vain, my voice echoing off the walls of the spacious bathroom I was in.

Three days had come and gone since I was taken out of the toy box for Yami's amusement. Though I had no clock of any kind in the restroom, I still possessed a vague concept of time. Gazing through the only window in the large area, I had watched listlessly as the sun rose and set within the seventy-two hours I stayed locked up in here. I chose to remain captive behind the four sunshine-colored walls, hoping that the gods would smile upon me and force my millennium spirit to leave me alone. So far, so good…I had not come into contact with the darker form of myself in quite a while now. A surge of hope shot through my veins as I slowly began to understand how long I had been in this location. 

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/Misery mire

In this mind's wake

My heart's desire 

I will forsake/

Usually, Yami kept me in his clutches until I passed out from playing his games. It never mattered if one or more of my limbs were horribly twisted, badly damaged, or even unrecognizable beneath a fresh coat of blood; for he would just grab me up by my hair and shove me into the bath tub. Lying on top of cold porcelain, I'd stare expressionlessly up at my master as he smiled wickedly down at me. His magenta eyes would scan my small frame, for he loved the compromising position my body always seemed to unintentionally fall into. I dreaded his touch, his words, the way his purple-red orbs gleamed with creative new ways to torment me. Of course, I knew the powerful pharaoh wanted far more than to simply tease me with multiple variations of suffering--that would be too easy to accomplish. What he dreamed of was far more terrible than anything Ryou's millennium spirit had the imagination to concoct. Above all else in life, my other half wished to surpass the boundaries of controlling my mind, crushing my heart, and breaking my will. He longed to have me in every possible aspect he could think of. What he truly desired was complete domination, pure and unbridled.

Constantly, I found myself vowing to never submit to his delirious demands ever again. Unfortunately, promises were made to be broken, for I also discovered that I couldn't keep any of them. Yugioh was just too much for me to handle by myself. While the top of my head only reached slightly above his waist, the pharaoh's lean structure towered over me, capturing me in his eternal shadow. Everything attached to me was so dainty and child-like that hardly anyone took me seriously, much less my attacker. When it came to defending myself against his cruel assaults, I was a total joke. Facing the twisted truth, I realized that I was just too petite in size to ward off any of his blows. My eyes snapped shut, overwhelmed by my storm-crazed thoughts.

/Wild abandon

Truly reckless

I can't hold on

This life's a mess/

I'm weak. None of my friends would actually believe me if I told them, but I am. Yes, I know I'm always the first one to jump in the middle of a brawl at school to come between a bully and an ally of mine, but that is the extent of my heroism. In all honesty, I can't fight on my own, not even with a weapon. Sure, I'm great at winning verbal debates when battling an opponent, but that's it. My sharp blade of wit rusts when faced with squaring off with Yami, since he punishes me for every word I speak out of turn. When in the presence of His Excellency, he commands my silence (unless he wishes to hear me recite a list of praises dedicated to himself). That goes for shrieks and cries, too. 

One time I had accidentally let out a loud yelp as he dragged the tip of a dagger down my bare chest. Furious at my insubordination, Yami thought he would teach me a lesson by inflicting both mental and physical pain on me. Smacking my hand into his palm, the millennium spirit proceeded to wrap my fingers around the handle of the knife. Scared beyond a point of all reason, I watched helplessly as I was forced to re-open the wounds on my skin. Biting down hard on my tongue, I suppressed the nagging urge to scream. Draped in a sickening mass of maroon liquid, I can still remember what I told myself as I shivered in icy sweat: _Please, gods just let the dagger slip. Let the damn blade be thrust in my chest so I don't have to see this. Suicide is all I need…_

/Mutilation

Soul solution

Degradation

Love's conclusion/

A jaded half-smile materialized on my mouth as I recalled a famous phrase that popped out of the pages of my history book.

"Give me liberty, or give me death!" I declared, mimicking the tone of the individual who developed the widely known quote. 

Laughing at my bad impression, I turned my line of sight up towards the ceiling. The humor was so poor, so appalling that I came to my senses at once. Here I am, sitting in the corner of my shared bathroom with scars and bruises engraved into my very flesh, and all I can jest about is taking my own life. Trembling, I arrived at a terrifying conclusion.

"Oh, dear spirits, I'm turning into him." I breathed, frozen in fear. "I'm going to end up hurting others like he does."

Gooseflesh prickled my skin as I contemplated the reality of what I stated. Would I try to subject my comrades to the same behavior? What if Yami caught on to this new terror of mine and attempted to use it against me? Ultimately, will Pharaoh have me perform the same nasty actions on my allies to gain more control? Shuddering at the images passing in front of my eyes of Yami toying with my best friends, I decided that there was only one precaution I could take to guard the others from such harsh brutality.

"But how can I do that?" I asked myself aloud, wondering how to complete such a barbaric task. "His Excellency never leaves potential weapons in my reach--"

All at once, the memories of my last rendezvous with my millennium spirit hit me. After my mandatory self-mutilation session with him, I was about ready to lose consciousness. Displeased with my inability to hold out longer for more eventful activities, Yami took his frustration out by licking the well-crafted blade clean--the same knife he cut me with. His serpent-like tongue lapped up the crimson fluid, restoring the priceless dagger to its original state. The last thing I remember seeing was Pharaoh setting the blade down on the bathroom counter, giving me a seductive little wink as my vision faded to black.

"That's it!" I said excitedly, my eyes as wide as the glass plates he threw at me on occasion. "I know where it is!"

Actually smiling in happiness, I dragged myself off of the floor. Immediately, I was struck with a dizzy spell that almost made me collapse. Grasping the bathroom counter with all of my strength, I finally achieved an awkward state of balance. Shaking off the nauseating feeling that was gnawing at my temples, I hobbled over to the other side of the sink. Different kinds of make-up (the latest styles from Lancôme, Mai's fashion-savvy ways were rubbing off on Tea) leaked out of the medicine cabinet and onto the surrounding marble area. Sighing at the absolute mess in front of me, I began digging through the pile of cosmetics. I wish I could have had more time to tell Tea that she looked just fine to me without any war paint on her face, but she wouldn't have believed me. I would have just gotten a pat on the head, a cheek pinch, and some soft words spoken to me that would probably be to the effect of, "Yugi, I know you just want me to feel better about myself, but I like the way this stuff looks on me." Pushing the made-up scenario from my mind, I concentrated on my search for Yami's knife. Moving Miss Valentine's star quality merchandise aside, my fingers felt the familiar brush of ancient steel. Relieved that the millennium spirit didn't retrieve the legendary artifact previously, I snatched the dagger up at once. Now I was only seconds away from ending His Excellency's vicious reign over my life.

__

/Pretty weapon

Take me away

Now I am done

With blood I'll pay/

Turning the weapon over in my palm, I allowed myself a few moments to take in its striking qualities. It truly was a work of art, just the hilt of the blade alone. This single trinket was the only item Yami cherished in his extended existence on this planet. Artisans from his native land must have crafted the dagger in his honor, for the millennium spirit's image was carved onto the surface. Surrounding the king of all Egyptians were some hieroglyphics glossed over with sterling silver. Studying the intricate language of a civilization that came and went, I discovered the meaning of the minute pictographs.

" 'Let all those who oppose me fall victim to my wrath, for I am the beginning of the end.' " I read out loud, fingering the smooth symbols adorning Pharaoh's created picture.

Cringing at the ominous words, I nearly dropped the knife. Totally isolated and sheltered from my menacing master, I knew that I would never escape his violent grasp. No matter how much I desired to just disappear into the cracks of gusty desert sands, I feared that he would find me. In the end, he always did, sooner or later. I had to do this. I had to get myself out of this bad situation, this on-going nightmare before anyone else was brought into it, too. The last thing I wanted to do with any of my allies was share a hospital room while hooked up on life support machines. I'd suffer until the end of time by Yami's hand before I would make the fatal mistake of handing the sociopath my best friends.

__

/A glint of steel

Is what I see

My own appeal

Pathetic plea/

Clasping the dagger with a shaking hand, I fell to my knees. Landing on the hard ground with a sickening thud, I gasped instantly in pain. Part of the flesh on my legs split, for I could feel warm sticky blood trickle off of my skin. Disregarding the throbbing sensation strumming my nerves, I lifted the shining blade above my head. In another time and place, I would have fancied such a knife for a personal collection of mine. Now it just resembled a tool of dominancy, some resource to keep me in restraints a little while longer while Yami skipped around and had his fun with me. Stretching my other arm in the direction of the sky, I coaxed the limb into joining its opposite hand. Coiling my fingertips tightly across the hilt of the blade, I gently closed my eyes once more. Nothing could stop me, for I was finally in control. No one--not even the tyrannical ruler of Thebes--could end the path to my first and last victory.

__

/Comes from my throat

A broken cry

Shrill in its note 

Waiting to die/


	2. Sobs in the Night

Chapter Two: Sobs in the Night

/I don't want to do this! / my mind screamed, fighting my next action every inch of the way. _/Please, gods, don't let me carry this out…don't let me get me! /_

No matter how much grief my head was in about taking my own life, it understood that this would be the only way to free my friends' necks from the potential threat looming over them. They never knew that a brutal tormentor took up residence right across from their bedrooms, watching their every move. Yami probably prowled around in the shadows of my comrades' living spaces, lusting after them while licking his ever-hungry chops. The King of Games loved fresh meat, too. If I allowed him to let his imagination run wild, he'd come after every one of my roommates until he ran out of prey to hunt. He was like the King Cobras that stalked the banks of the Nile, attacking anyone in his path by swiftly biting them and sinking his venomous teeth into their skin. He craved the sight of new victims writhing underneath his fangs, poisoning them with countless hours of involuntary slavery. I love all of my comrades dearly, so I can't let that happen. I won't ever let that happen.

Silently screaming apologies and farewells to all those I care for so much in life, I plunged the blade down. My eyes snapped closed, awaiting the shock of the penetrating blade. Cold sweat beads dotted my forehead, mixing with the crystal rivers on my face. 

__

/Don't worry, / I told myself over and over again, shivering in madness, _/it'll all be over soon. This won't last long. /_

"That's what you think." a deep voice contradicted me, almost in a singsong like tone.

Chills traveled up and down my spine as my breath caught in my throat. The accent was so horrible, so hauntingly familiar that I immediately recognized its owner.

__

/But how? / my thoughts raged inside of my head, swirling around me in a sea of despair. _/It can't be him! It just CAN'T be! /_

With great hesitation, I slowly lifted my lids to verify the holder of the frightening words. Freezing in mid-pace, my heart felt as if it had turned to solid steel.

"Oh, no…" I heard myself moan, lines of stress and fear burdening my features. "Oh, dear spirits, no…"

Leaning over me, the dreadful King of Games sneered savagely, obviously entertained by my failed attempt at suicide. His sharp nails dug into my flesh, forcing me to let go of the dagger I held. Seeing my only salvation from this life of misery slip through my fingertips, I held on to the blade with all the strength my body had in it.

"You're wasting your time, child." snickered Yami, amused by my sudden feistiness. "Just be a good little boy and stop making yourself look ridiculous."

"No, I won't give in to your taunting this time!" I wailed, continuing to wrestle for the right to wield the small weapon. "I don't have to take this anymore!"

"Suit yourself." replied Pharaoh, his tone devoid of any real emotion.

In a matter of seconds, our mini-battle was all over. Since both of my hands were underneath his, they lay vulnerable to the wicked assault of Yami's nails. Cat-like claws of his tore even deeper into my flesh, causing my grip to slacken on the knife's hilt. A final cry left my lips, accepting the fact that the domineering ruler of Egypt won. Waving the blade across my disenchanted sight, my master smiled in ravenous victory. Slapping his palm against my brow, he pushed me backwards to grovel on the tiles. Humiliated and badly defeated, a single tear slipped down my cheek as my head slapped the ground below.

__

/Darkly staring

Down at the floor

Red I'm wearing

Covered in gore /

Advancing on me like a jackal hunting down his next target, my darker half eyed me threateningly. Tapping the ancient blade on the inside of his hand, he smacked his lips together. Ordinarily, people produced this gesture when they were famished and in need of some sort of nourishment; however, that didn't really apply to Yugioh. Although it was true that he had a voracious appetite most of the time, he never craved store bought groceries. My flesh was his treat, his candy, the warped entrée that he pined after. More specifically, he thrived on a mild sense of cannibalism, compelling me to bleed just so that he could feast on the thick liquid my small frame leaked out. Blood was his substitute for water, so he was in constant need of the vital fluid I had coursing through my veins.

Picking my head off the tiles with an agonizing grip, the leader of Thebes growled, "How dare you defy me like this, you unimportant little brat. What gives you the right to try to leave me?" Wanting an immediate explanation for my actions, he struck me with the backside of his hand. "Well, speak up! Inquiring minds wish to know."

Cringing at the raw power being exerted over me, I bit down on my lower lip. I didn't want to cower in his silhouette anymore, but I saw no way out of doing so. Pleading the Fifth Amendment, I studied the texture of the floor. Darkly glaring at me, Yami took a fistful of my tri-colored tresses and yanked me up into a kneeling position. Baring his fangs at me, he shook me ferociously to get some sort of reaction out of me. I sat on my haunches silently, still staring at the ground in vacant wonder. 

__

/He's not gonna get to me this time. / I vowed quietly to myself, drawing in slow, subtle breaths. _/I'm not gonna back down like I usually do, either. Just like everyone else on this planet, it's a natural right of mine to be left the hell alone and live life the way I choose to. He's not gonna take that away from me. This is my life, and no one going get in the way of me living it how I want to. /_

"What are you concocting in that small head of yours, Sweetie?" asked my master, his tone unpleasant and mocking. 

Unable to stay calm and collected, I raised my head to meet his crazed ruby-eyed gaze. 

"None of your damn business." Just to see how furious he would get, I added, "Sado-masochistic bastard."

Instead of getting upset like I imagined he would, Pharaoh just shrugged his shoulders in awkward agreement.

"What's _that _supposed to mean?" I asked, confused by his present demeanor. "I don't understand."

Suddenly, a wild half-grin lifted a corner of the King of Games' mouth. These sadistic little smirks were worse than his full-blown smiles, for it was another sign that denoted he was up to something. On this particular occasion, I wasn't sure if I wanted to know what he was thinking. Talking back was an unforgivable offense, and it would probably warrant an artistic form of punishment.

Cocking his head to the side, Yami reached out to touch me. Completely worn out from the day's activities, I couldn't bring myself to dodge the reviled contact. Bringing his body close to mine, he let go of my hair and moved his hand to my face. With surprising tenderness, he stroked the wetness of my cheeks. Like a protective parent, Yugioh wrapped his arms around my petite frame, attempting to eliminate the tension in my muscles by rubbing them. Perplexed by his rapid change in behavior, I sat on my heels in total astonishment.

Placing his mouth beside my ear, the ruler of the Nile whispered, "Don't worry, Hikari, you'll comprehend it when I show you."

Narrowing my eyes, I inquired, "Show me? Show me what? I already have experienced all your nasty tricks, so you don't have anything to use against me now."

Disregarding my last statement, Yami licked a portion of my neck while slipping his hand across my front. Alarm bells chimed in my head, filling me with a new kind of fear. Balancing his weight on one leg, the taller individual used his other limb to force my knees apart. Pressing his lean structure beside mine, he started to lower me to the floor. Now it was perfectly clear to me what he had in store for us, but it was too late to escape from him. 

Trying once more to bring him to his senses, I begged, "Pharaoh, don't do this…I _know_ you don't have to do this."

"And you didn't have to disobey my orders and slander me, but you did anyways." came the robotic reply, uninterested in my pitiable pleading.

With the grim reality of the situation nailing me to the ground, tears sprang from my magenta orbs as he tore the clothes from my skin.

__

/Terror sweeping

Across my sight

Now I'm weeping 

Sobs in the night/


	3. The Tie That Binds Us

Chapter Three: The Tie That Binds Us

"Mmm, you taste simply divine." murmured Yami, trailing his tongue across my flesh in order to slurp up the heavy rainfall from my eyes. 

"Stop it! Stop this _now_!" I demanded, wriggling beneath him like a worm on a fisherman's hook. 

"Since when did you call the shots around here?" he asked, stripping me of my shirt. 

"It's _my_ body!" I cried defiantly, still squirming fiercely in his clutches "I should be able to do whatever I want with it without anyone infringing on my personal space!"

"And you expect me to believe that?" came the mechanical reply, extremely uncaring. "What kind of ill-mannered logic is that?"

"It's _not _'ill-mannered logic,' it's the truth!"

Laughing softly, the older person shook his head. The temperature in the room seemed to plummet to a degree below zero, causing the very air around us to resemble arctic weather. Pharaoh's pleasure always ended up turning into my worst nightmare, a sort of endless darkness that haunted me even when I carried out my daily activities in daylight hours. Placing his head only inches away from mine, he stared me straight in the eye. Demented purple-red orbs captured my magenta ones, forcing my vision to see only the impassive soul inhabiting my master's body. 

"Truth is a perception." intoned my captor, his hot breath blistering my cheek. "Not everyone can handle it, so they turn to sugar-coated lies and hide in their own self-generated fantasies to keep their sanity intact."

"So? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Can _you _handle the truth, Little One?" he shot back without answering my question. "Do you own as much courage as you think you do in that chibi-sized structure of yours?"

Slowly moving my head up and down, I replied, "I'm ready for whatever you've got, you psychopath."

Eyeing me cautiously, Yugioh inquired once more, "Are you sure you're up for this? This is something that is literally going to stick in your mind forever--"

"Just spit it out already." I snapped, tired of playing his gruesome games.

A smile of deadly perfection spread across his lips, tremendously darkening his expression. 

"I've always loved you, Honey Buns." began the ruler of Egypt, gently stroking my hair. "You don't know how many nights went by of me lying awake in my bed, dreaming of having you in my arms. I'd imagine you were my special servant, bending down in front of me on all fours while begging me to hurt you. Nothing gave me greater joy than sharing those dark desires with you, gnawing on your frame like a delectable dessert. Your blood, screams, cries, the way you gripped the mattress in pure pain…all seems like a romantic dream to me." confessed the shadowy spirit, his eyes sparkling like a schizophrenic who had just broken out of the mental asylum they had been locked up in. Chuckling lightly, he added, "Fairytales are truly wonderful, aren't they? After all, I guess you're proof that dreams really _do _come true."

Before another sentence was vocalized, the King of Games suckled on various parts of my abdomen. Red splotches appeared on my skin after he was through with each section of it, making my body look as if I had been caught in a beehive. Working his way downwards, he nibbled on the flesh surrounding my navel, leaving shiny streaks everywhere he went. Stunned by his damaging speech, I ceased to resist his advances. Yugioh was bound and determined to have his way with me, no matter what the consequences were. He didn't care if someone caught him in the act. Yami didn't mind me telling someone else about what was really going on between us. Quite honestly, he didn't even give a damn if I turned him over to the authorities for hard time in prison. All he wanted to do was dry screw me for as long as he could keep me in his grasp. Even if I had killed myself before he could stop me, that wouldn't have put an end to anything. Somewhere, deep down in the gloomy recesses of my heart, I knew that my millennium spirit would never let go of me--not even in death. I knew that he was psychotic enough to take himself out just to follow me to the boundaries of eternity. No matter where I'd go or what I'd do, he would always be there, watching over my shoulder in the tie that binds us. 

Cutting the last threads of my sanity loose, I chanted continuously to myself, _/He'll find me…he'll _always_ find me…/_

/Everything's gone

All so tragic

The same old song 

Moody magic /


	4. Cat's Cradle

Chapter Four: Cat's Cradle

"Give yourself to me." demanded Yami, leering at my powerless frame with lust-crazed eyes.

Head hanging between my shoulders, I replied hollowly, "Yes of course, Pharaoh. Just tell me your wishes and I shall carry them out." 

Hooking a thumb and forefinger around my chin, Yugioh pulled my line of sight up to be level with his. Eerie amethyst eyes searched my magenta ones, trying to detect any signs of mistruth in them. His violet orbs were like twin scalpels, cutting open the valves of my heart to dissect my true intentions. Staring at him blankly, I breathed in long, shallow breaths. There was nothing left in my mind, no sign of life in my soul to produce. Empty and devoid of any human traits, I awaited my master's commands.

Doubting my suddenly docile appearance, the ruler of the Nile spoke in an aggressive manner. "You know what I think of liars, my pet."

"I know. Individuals like those receive nothing but a high degree of hatred from you."

"And…?"

"And you believe that all those who distort the truth deserve to have their tongues cut out."

"Very good." said the taller person, commending me for my ability to recall one of his lunatic statements. "You're precisely right."

Stretching his arm out behind himself, the king of games patted the bathroom counter. Questing fingertips of his rapped against the various items strewn around the sink, pushing aside whatever got in their way. Everything from eye shadow to emery boards crashed to the tiles below, some of the make-up containers shattering on impact. Wild sprays of the colored powders smeared themselves all over the floor, creating a rainbow of ruined goods. Finally, when most of the soaps, bath gels, and toothbrushes were cleared from their previous positions around the water faucet, a metallic ring reverberated throughout the living area. Yami's hand gripped a shiny silver object, slender in width and moderately long in length. Looking as though he had struck a gold mine, the giddy maniac retrieved the contraption he was holding. An awful sound of metal scraping the granite surface could be heard, forcing me to grimace as a natural reaction.

With a flash of steel, the shadowy spirit grabbed my jaw. Prying my mouth open with the majestic blade, he strategically placed the knife under my tongue.

Staring me down with a cold calculating gaze, he said, "This is your last chance, hikari. I advise you to choose your next words carefully, since they just might be your last."

By the way he addressed me, I could tell that he meant business. He was no longer trying to see if I would crack under the pressure of his threats, for his usual condescending smirk had left his lips long ago. Underneath Yami's façade of playful trickery was a spirit so demented, so totally twisted that it must have been derived from hell's darkest pits. I was even willing to bet that Lucifer himself coveted my older counterpart's evil mannerisms. 

Knowing that these phrases could be my final ones, I uttered, "I am yours and yours alone. Please allow me to adhere to your every order so that I may prove to you how good I can be."

Narrowing his eyes, the taller person viewed my features skeptically. "Are you asking for me to take you?"

"Yes." I nodded, sealing my own fate. "After all, you wanted a servant, right?"

The possessed grin returned to his mouth, stretching his lips into an expression of primal desire. Purple-red orbs glistened with the promise of witnessing blood being spilled just for the purpose of eye candy. Aroused by my small speech, he emitted a feral growl. 

"My special servant…" murmured Yugioh, fingering my tri-colored mane in awkward passion. "How I've longed for this moment in time to come. What should we do first?"

"Anything you want." I droned, no real depth or quality present in my voice.

Inflamed by my obedient answer, he fisted my gothic hair savagely. Bringing himself to a standing position, Yami dusted himself off and dragged me across the bathroom tiles. Exhausted and fatigued from lack of food and sleep, I could barely keep my eyes open long enough to comprehend what was going on. Everything within my vision was spinning, reeling out of control like wild waves slamming against the banks of my mind. Nothing was going right, everything was a mess, and my bare body felt as if it was set on fire by the harsh fashion in which it was being handled. Nevertheless, my petite structure continued to hang on, helplessly watching as it was subjected to severe brutality.

All at once, my little frame was picked up and thrown onto the springy mattress in the bedroom. I was thankful that the burning sensation on my backside was beginning to fade, but I knew I wouldn't be able to stay comfortable for long. Though I craved some basic nutrition and many hours of rest, those simple needs of mine would have to be put off once more. The king of Thebes did not bring me into his own private quarters to tuck me underneath the covers, sing me a lullaby, or even just to leave me alone. He had turned into an animal, exhibiting behavior similar to that of a large feline. While I was the carcass lying barely conscious on the comforter, he was the lion, toying with his catch of the day. More than anything, Yami loved to play with his food. Poking and prodding at his fresh meat, he was highly amused by the pool of red that oozed out of his victim. It wouldn't take him long to sink his teeth into me, either. After all, the best part of a hunt is eating what you kill.

"Rock-a-bye baby, on the tree tops…" sang my master happily, jumping on the bed after me. Molding his body into a position like that of a crouching tiger, he started to unbuckle the belt at the base of his throat. "When the wind blows, the cradle will rock."

Involuntarily shuddering, I thought silently, _/Creepy…that was the same song that Jou-chan and I used to sing together at recess time in kindergarten. Why does my millennium spirit have to take away everything that I hold so precious and dear in my heart? /_

Onyx leather slid to the carpet, the ruler of the Nile carelessly letting his garments fall without bothering to hang them up. It was obvious that he had more important things wearing on his mind other than the location of his clothes. Fully exposed now, the sight of Yugioh completely undressed stole the air from my lungs. Even though the violet-eyed pharaoh was a formidable foe, the size of his frame paled in comparison to that of his nasty reputation. Lanky and lean in his structure, the master duelist bore a strong resemblance to the shy science pros at my school that were constantly bullied. If a guidance counselor had bumped into my darker counterpart in the halls, they would probably have mistaken him for someone battling an eating disorder. I wanted nothing more than to vocalize these observations, but I held my tongue. Yami could still be in the mood to cut that piece of flesh out of my mouth, so I dared not to make a sound.

Locking his most piercing gaze on me, the king of games crawled towards me with his nails extended. "When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall…" 

Gathering up all the strength my small body had in it, I tried to escape his on-coming assault, but I couldn't. My back was already pressed up against the wall, with nowhere to run or hide. Now he was ready to taste his target, tracing the edges of his lips with a salivating tongue. When he was within striking distance of me, he leapt up in the air, pouncing me as the end result. My head bounced on the hard surface of the wall, terrible throbbing vibrations channeling themselves throughout my petite frame. Suddenly, my vision morphed itself into something like a whirlwind, blending everything in the area into a jumbled abstract painting. Disoriented by the radical pain I was experiencing, I collapsed to my side in an attempt to grasp my bearings. Clasping my temples with shaky hands, the first thing I saw when my sight came back to me was Yami's horrible grin, his untamed amethyst orbs shining with incredible excitement.

Ecstatic that he had landed directly on top of me, Pharaoh purred into my ear, "And down will come baby, cradle in all."

As soon as his unpredictable nursery rhyme ended, the sadistic individual cut off my path of oxygen by engulfing my lips with his. Unwanted skin shoved itself over mine, making it horrible for me to breathe. Something wet and warm was exploring the caverns of my mouth, licking its way over my teeth and to every space in between. Shocked by the chills traveling up and down my spine, I remained frozen in Yami's grip.

__

/Oh, gods, this is my first kiss! / my mind mourned, icy reality tearing my emotions apart. _/No! This wasn't supposed to happen this way! It's not right! I wanted _Joey _to be the one I gave myself to, not this soulless demon! Someone, make him stop, make him go away! It's just not fair…none of this is! /_

A sharp stinging sensation was brought to the side of my face, the flesh on my cheek burning hotly like a bad sunburn. Wicked teeth gnawed on my collarbone, biting the length of my neck and chest. I couldn't help but let a few crystal drops slip down my visage, knowing what was next after this. Joey was the one I cared about, the one I adored so very much in my worthless existence. He was the person I wanted to lay in front of or do all the work for, whichever came first. His wishes were my dreams, my candy fantasies, the divine dessert that I sought to live for. I needed that happy-go-lucky spirit around me so that I could forget everyone and thing that was bothering me. Those arms of his was my primary desire, a place that would keep me sheltered and warm without any fears of Yami getting between us. Knowing that my dreams were just some mystical illusions my mind invented just to keep myself sane, I whimpered softly to myself. 

"There, there," soothed my slave driver with surprising compassion, "it can't hurt that much for you." Pausing in his violent lovemaking, he lapped up the river of anguish on my visage. "Don't be so sensitive."

Roughly rubbing the curves of my chest, he drew his legs around my waist. Hardened anatomy worked its way into my passage, driving a shrill cry from my throat. Wishing to witness the corruption of innocence firsthand, Yugioh seized my wrists in his power-hungry palms and forced himself inside of me as much as he could. My cries evolved into high-pitched screams, the sounds of pure terror became the hell bound tune that my captor rocked and thrust to. Feeling as though my body was being split in two, I gripped the sheets so tightly that my knuckles turned white. Through the tears I could see lines of mortal red drip across the inside of my thighs, the sickening substance was a vile replacement for lubricant. Deep lusty movements of Pharaoh's slashed intimate parts of me open, causing irreparable damage to all that was attached to me. Believing my sharp yelps to be sounds of pure pleasure, the abusive spirit increased the width of his smile. He showed no sign of stopping, for he would keep on slamming into me as long as he pleased. I am his slave, his collared bitch, the captive that is bound by manacles and chains to serve him food any time he wished. This wasn't even my life anymore…it was his. He had me, possessed me, and, in the end, dominated me just like he promised.

__

/And he claims to have feelings for me…are his actions truly affectionate? / I wondered idly, desperately trying to liberate my mind from the events taking place. _/Is passion supposed to be this harmful and constricting? Do my daydreams of uncomplicated love making even exist in this world, or are my thoughts on this topic too idealistic? /_

I didn't know the answers to any of my questions, nor did I care to. Those philosophical debates were verbal contests that were for the more brave of heart and courageous of spirit. In all honestly, I feared the responses to my dilemmas. What if there were more individuals that held Yami's convictions as the truth? Could there be countless souls in this realm that want to subject their friends and family to exotic rituals to feed the darkness of their hearts? 

But then there was Jonouchi…the bouncy blond that had been my best friend forever now. He never made me regret being born or ridiculed me for my petite size. Matter of fact, I don't ever recall him saying anything negative to me ever since we found each other. Joey was impulsive as hell, but entertaining nonetheless. That's what made him such an interesting character, his attributes of spontaneous ness and recklessness. We always had fun together, just me and him, doing what we wanted to do when we desired to without anyone's permission. The tall street raised teenager was brash in attitude and smart enough to get himself out of precarious situations, traits that I envied whole-heartedly. At the same time, Jou-chan could be extraordinarily warm and compassionate, too. He was always beside me to mend my wounds, brush the tears from my face, and help me up when I was down. No one was better at playing video games, cooking scrumptious meals, or fixing sad dispositions. When things went wrong or I got depressed, I immediately felt revived with romantic fantasies of my close comrade. 

__

/But Joey deserves better than me…besides, who wants a disgusting whore as a lover? No one. No one, not even my sympathetic classmate, would have room in their heart for me. I'm just a used toy, some disgusting prostitute that no one really gives a damn about. /

"Oh, Katsuya…why can't you love me?" I cried into the shadows of the cradle I was trapped in, shards of my innocence hanging in the claws of the cat ripping all elements of me apart.

__

/The bitter end

Finally here

With love I send

A final tear /


	5. Broken Glass

Chapter Five: Broken Glass

__

/Emotions become volatile

While my alter ego becomes hostile

Declarations of war

What is it good for…? /

"What did you say?!" demanded Yugioh, freezing in his tracks. 

"That I wished Jou-chan would--" catching the meaning of what I had just verbalized, I snapped my mouth closed. 

"That's what I thought." whispered the millennium spirit, his teeth grinding together as he spoke.

"No, that's not what I meant! Joey, he--"

"Is who you are fantasizing about while we are making love."

"That's not it, Master! I would never forsake you for someone else during such a precious occasion!"

"Don't lie to me." warned my gloomy counterpart.

"I'm not, I swear! I'm just--"

"_I told you to stop your fucking lying!_" roared Yami, pushing me off of the mattress. "_Quit trying to cover your ass, because there's no way you can!"_

Curling my body up into a fetal position, I peered at Pharaoh with huge scared eyes. Never before had he looked so forbidding, so positively dangerous. The horror of the shade claimed his trim structure, enveloping him in a black veil comparable to that of the reaper's. Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I prepared myself for the worst.

__

/Where to go?

I don't know…

What to do?

Options seem so few…/

"Are you scared, child?" asked Yugioh, cocking his head to the side.

Regarding him with an eerie unblinking gaze, I swallowed my words.

"I just asked you a question, Little One, so I expect an answer."

Opening my mouth, I tried to coax my tongue into coming up with a decent response, but nothing came out. Thoughts, sentences, phrases…all forms of verbal communication hung in suspended animation. Too afraid to whisper a sound, I clamped my lips together in a vow of silence.

Forcing a frustrated sigh from his lungs, the king of Thebes said, "Fine then, have it your way. Your stubborn quietness will only equate to having more penalties for you."

Swinging his legs over the side of the mattress, the enraged millennium spirit bounced off the bed. Lifting one corner of the sheets up, he knelt down on one knee to search the space underneath the crimson colored covers. 

"Where the hell is that thing?" growled the ruler of all duels, quickly losing his patience. "I need it _now_!"

Still gripping the red blankets in terror, I remained glued to where I was. There was no telling what dirty nasty objects Yami was going to use against me this time. My master had an ever-growing arsenal of love toys hidden in his private quarters; items that would make even the worst slave owners vomit. Knives, manacles, sharp animal teeth, human bones, piano wire…those sinister bondage tools were just a few of the marvelous weapons he possessed. Closing my wild imagination down, I clasped my head with trembling hands.

"Ah, so _that's_ where I stuck it." I heard him say in wicked triumph, the cold edge vacant from his present tone. "Right over there behind the chains."

All at once, I recalled an event where Pharaoh had left me tied to the inside of his closet, bound by the very chains that he tossed aside now. He had bolted the door to the tiny clothes area, trapping me within the confines of the gloomy area. Many days had passed before he had finally allowed me to see daylight after that, and the brightness from the rays of the sun nearly blinded me when I saw them once more. 

__

/How should I live?

Is there anything more to give?

When will everything be gone?

Maybe at the end of this song…/

__

/And he did that to me on one of his good days. / my mind moaned, fearing what he would do to me next. _/What now? Since he's more upset than usual, what is he planning? / _

"Hikari, do you like our games of restraints?" inquired Yami suddenly, strangely calm and collected at the moment.

Clearing my throat, I uttered, "Please don't hurt me anymore, okay? If you do that much for me, I'll be even better for you next time we make love. I'll never, ever bring up another individual's name in your presence, so long as I live--"

"Oh, I know you'll never do that around me anymore."

"See? Then there's no reason to resume our daily rituals."

"We won't be."

Caught off-guard by his response, I widened my eyes in surprise. Was this the start of some fabulous good luck streak? Were the gods finally tired of watching Pharaoh have his way with me and decided to give me some freedom after all? Whatever the reason for my master's changer of heart, I thanked every star in the heavens for granting me temporary liberation.

"Thank-you! Thank-you so very, very much for your kindness!" I cried, my voice heavy with sincerity. "I promise you won't regret this! Whenever you decide to play with me again, I'll be all rested up and ready to--"

"Witness the suffering of your sweet little crush."

Halting in my list of praises to Yami, I stared straight ahead of myself in frozen shock. The blood was draining from my face, sending arctic shivers up my back as I let the meaning of his statement sink in to my brain. 

__

/He doesn't mean Jou-chan…he can't possibly _be talking about my friend…/_

"That's not funny." I whispered, hoping that this was just the king of games' idea of a bad joke. 

"Whoever said that I was jesting?"

Swallowing the chilly lump of fear in my throat, I turned to face my captor. "You'd better stay away from him, Yami. You'd better just stay the hell away from him."

"Who's going to stop me, someone like you?" countered Pharaoh, his violet orbs dancing with malevolence.

"I will if I have to!"

Malicious snickering ricocheted off the walls in the bedroom. "My, my, aren't we brave?" mocked Yugioh, sitting himself down on the edge of the bed. "Here you are, all bloody and bowed by my hands, and yet you think that you somehow have enough strength to seek out your little comrade and tell him that death is coming. Very valiant, I'll give you that much, my pet. Unfortunately, happy thoughts don't win somebody's independence: only brute force does."

"No! I won't let you take him!" I shouted, struggling to get myself up into an upright position. "I won't let you!"

Flashing me one of his patented sadistic sneers, my slave driver shoved me off the mattress. My poor body plummeted to the floor below, landing with a stomach-wrenching thump. No matter how much I screamed at my small frame to fight back, I knew I had already lost the war. There was nothing left for me to draw on, no special reserves of power for my tiny structure to become rejuvenated by. Nevertheless, I kept trying to get to my feet. Joey's life was at stake, and I wasn't ready to give up on him just yet. I couldn't let Yami have him. I couldn't bear to see someone else go through the same endless hours of brutal torture that I had to live with. No, I won't allow Pharaoh to hurt anyone else, much less my best friend, someone I know and love so well.

Lightly, Yugioh shook his head. "If you can't even save yourself, why would you even bother trying to save someone else?"

Seizing my neck within his death claws, he lifted my head to meet the sight of one of the bed's sturdy wooden legs. I knew what Pharaoh was thinking, what he intended to do with me. The only problem was that I had no way of preventing his devastating action. 

"Pleasant dreams, Angel Baby." laughed my master, determined to shatter all of my hopes and prayers by stalking Joey down.

Within seconds, my head was going to collide with the bed post, but there wasn't a thing I could do to stop it from happening. All I could do now was beseech the help of whatever deities were residing in the universe. Maybe there was still someone out there who gave a damn, someone who would act as a guardian angel and destroy all the evil I was surrounded by. My heart is like a beautiful stained glass painting: after someone breaks it one too many times, I have trouble picking up all the pieces and putting them together again…

"That's right, my Pet, you're nothing but a fragile little shard of glass." stated the king of Thebes, grinning in wicked triumph. "All you ever do is shatter on impact, just when you hit ground zero. There's no where left to fall, you've lost it all, and now you belong to me. Well, you'll be completely mine after I eliminate the Prince Charming from your life." amended Yugioh, his expression growing sour with the allusion to Jounouchi. Baring his fangs, he spoke in a low, menacing tone. "You see, Hikari, no one ever takes what's mine. No one. That goes for idiotic smart-mouthed losers like Wheeler. So, if it's Katsuya Jounouchi you want, I think that can be arranged. I hope you don't mind if I'm going to be the one who gets him when everything's said and done."

"N-No…y-you c-can't…" I said weakly, knowing that my Yami would stop at nothing to own me body and soul in the end. Worse yet, he wished to commit the same horrible actions against Joey like he did to me. I couldn't let myself think about that, though. That would cause me to have a classic nervous breakdown.

"Don't worry, I'll let you watch. Who knows, you may even like it."

My forehead crashed into the bed frame, literally making me see stars. Everything went black as I doubled over onto the carpet, holding my mid-section with my tiny arms. All I had to hold on to was myself, so I kept my limbs plastered around my small frame. Glass…something inside of me was crumbling to ashes, falling to pieces like a distorted jigsaw puzzle. Little did I know that the thing that broke was my own heart, the sections of my delicate organ scattering across the floor in millions of directions. With my master off to break the spirit of my best friend and me lying here, totally incapable of moving, I feared that the pretty stained glass painting I so loved and cherished would never be put back together again.

__

/Feelings never mattered

On pavement blood spattered

Kneeling in dead grass

Hands gripping broken glass/


	6. Reaching Destiny

Chapter Six: Reaching Destiny

Slender fingertips grasped my shoulder, shaking me awake with gentle back and forth movements. My body instinctively tensed at the foreign touch, assuming that it would turn from loving to aggressive at any given moment. Biting down on my lower lip, I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed furiously to myself.

__

/Gods, make him go away! Make Yami die and go to hell so no one will ever be bothered by him again! /

Once more, the unknown hand shook me lightly. It was forcing me to rise, making me heed its call. I whimpered under the pressure of the limb, dangerously teetering on the edge of tears.

"Yugi, it's me…" someone whispered in a soft-spoken accent, intent on getting my attention. "Please believe me when I say I'm here to help you."

"He tells me the same things, too." I choked, my forehead resting on top of my knees. "He always lies to me, though."

"I'm not like that."

"How do I know you aren't the same as him?" 

Lifting my face up to be at the same level as his, the silver-haired child replied evenly, "You're just going to have to find it in your heart to trust me."

Blinking my eyes in astonishment, I took in the features of the individual next to me. He was another good friend of mine, someone that I could easily relate to. Long snowy white tresses of his hung halfway down his back, rich and full of amazing volume. Dressed in neatly pressed pants and a button-up shirt, he appeared to be sporting his usual semi-formal attire. I had never seen the light-skinned boy wear anything even remotely casual, or have a messy exterior. Always conservative and elegant, the small adolescent carried himself with a regal disposition. Regarding me with sad green orbs, he appeared to be as close to crying as I was.

Attempting to break the tenseness of the moment, I asked, "What are you doing here, Ryou?"

"Huh? Oh, I was just out grocery shopping with my koi, and we thought it would be nice to stop by and ask Yugioh if he needed anything. I searched his refrigerator and freezer to see what he was out of, and I discovered that he didn't have any meat or poultry in stock."

"Curious, isn't it?"

"Uh-huh. There isn't a trace of seafood, cold cuts, or ground beef anywhere in his kitchen."

"And you're never going to find any, either." I said, stretching my sore neck.

"Why is that?"

Giving him a broken smile, I responded, "Because _I'm _his main course for dinner time. Yami never goes hungry with me around."

Watching the tiny teen's expression wither in disgust, I tried to move, but found the task to be of great difficulty. The more I wriggled in place, the more sharp pains attacked various places on my body. Frowning in confusion, I gazed down at myself to see what was holding me here. All I could catch a glimpse of was a silky sheet of red draped over my frame, making my anatomy look as though it had been turned into a sea of blood. Crying out in frustration, I wrestled to break free from the creepy sheets.

"What is it?" inquired Ryou, lines of worry creasing his brow.

"I'm stuck!" I cried, still trying to squirm my way out of the confines of the blanket. "I can't move!"

"That's ridiculous!" my friend protested, setting his hand on the sheet. "It's just a little cover! How hard can it be to take it off--"

Upon removing the silk blanket from me, he revealed the nasty truth that was previously concealed. There, lying underneath the sheet was my mangled and bruised body tied to the bed by barbed wire. Covering his mouth with the back of his hand, the green-eyed boy turned away from the sight of me. I looked that bad, that sick, like a batch of zombies were done feasting on me and had left my remains to disintegrate. Rusted barbs from the wire stuck into various parts of me, nailing me to where I was. Numb and drained from my last encounter with my millennium spirit, I couldn't even feel the pain from the metal slicing me open.

"Oh, gods…" whispered Ryou, his skin changing the same color as his eyes. "How could anyone do this to you?"

"I never as him why, I only know that he does things like this because I deserve it."

"That's not true! No one should have to live in terror for their own life!"

I shook my head, contradicting the silver-haired child's statement. "I belong to my master. I am only allowed to do what he tells me to. My life is his."

Placing both of his hands on my shoulders, my young classmate stared at me with scared eyes. "Are you even listening to yourself, Yugi? Are you? I mean, do you have any idea what you are saying right now? How can you resign yourself to being someone else's play toy? Is that all you want to be in life? Someone's artifact for amusement?"

"I do not question the motives of my master. I only live to carry out his divine wishes." I stated tonelessly, letting my head drift to the ground.

"But--But that's not right!" argued my friend shrilly, gazing at me in complete disbelief. "No one should have to take that sort of treatment! No one should have to bow to self-proclaimed gods! No one--"

"Hikari, let him go." another voice commanded in the distance.

"But he can't go on thinking that this is the only way to live!" protested Ryou, still trying to convince me to have more self-worth than I had. 

"I know, but a victim of this kind of abuse will only continue to blame themselves. You cannot force him to understand any different."

Aggravated by his Yami's words, the green-eyed child decided to heed the advice given to him. Letting go of my small frame, he gathered up the sheet he tossed off of me and began to clean my wounds. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the shadowy presence of his alter ego there, watching me with dark eyes. Propped up against the doorway, Yami Bakura folded his arms in front of his chest. I was glad he kept his distance from my temporary nurse, and me since I didn't want to have any more scars added to my body.

Sensing my nervousness, Ryou soothed, "Calm down, Yugi. Dressing these scars won't hurt as much as when you first received them."

I nodded weakly, still keeping a wary eye plastered to my classmate's millennium spirit. "They're not bad, are they?"

"Actually, I've seen worse, if you can believe it." sighed the silvery-haired adolescent, mending the cuts on my waist. "However, that doesn't mean that you're completely off the hook here. Some of the scrapes on you aren't exactly ordinary." Examining my flesh, he tore off part of the sheet and tied it to my mid-section. "I'm not going to lie to you, Yugi…these are pretty bad. In fact, I'm willing to bet that some of them might be permanent editions to your skin." Going for the wire around my wrists and ankles, the green-eyed boy fought with it mercilessly. Tugging this way and that, he attempted to free me from my restraints, but the obstinate barbs refused to budge. "Damn it!" he cursed, dropping his professional air for the time being. "I just--this is so--why can't I--"

Soundlessly, the older version of Ryou pushed himself away from his comfortable position. He sauntered over to his hikari's side, ready to offer his assistance without being told. Straightening into a more rigid sitting position, I held my breath. Never before had the spirit of the ring been so close to me. I didn't know much about the mysterious counterpart of my classmate's, but I didn't care to, either. Something about the wild-eyed Yami made my blood run cold and my teeth chatter involuntarily, although I had no real reason to dislike the older individual. Scanning my small structure with his eerie eyes, the millennium spirit assessed the situation before him. Stroking his chin with a thumb and forefinger, he stuck his opposite limb into one of his open pockets. It didn't take him long to find the object he was hunting for. Flashing me a sadistic smirk, he revealed to me what he had found. 

Snapping my eyes closed, I wailed, "Oh, please, I don't want to be hurt anymore!"

Glancing up from his work, Ryou said, "I'm not trying to cause you any more hardship, okay? Just let me--"

"That millennium spirit of yours is gonna slice and dice me like a vegetable machine!"

Poking me with the tip of his pocketknife, the quiet Yami went about his business as though I hadn't spoken a word. Pulling the wire taut around me, the wise old soul fiddled with the binding chains. Within seconds of the spirit's handiwork, I could feel the lead tied to my limbs loosen greatly. All it took was a few more slashes of his trusty blade to the barbs and I was finally able to be released. Showing me a hint of a grin, Ryou's counterpart removed the wire from my body with the greatest of ease. Somehow, Yami Bakura was fully capable of getting rid of the shackles without causing me any added grief. Free at last, I rubbed my tired wrists with my fingertips.

"Feel better?" questioned Yami Bakura, a tone of genuine concern edging up in his voice.

"Yes, I do." I agreed, alternating from massaging my arms to my ankles. "Thank-you very much."

Shrugging, the millennium spirit smiled. "Don't mention it, Young One."

"Why did you help me?" I asked suddenly, in spite of myself.

Gazing at me with melancholy brown eyes, Yami answered cryptically, "Because I, too, was once a helpless little child trapped by a very bad ruler."

Narrowing my eyes at him, I looked at the green-eyed boy expectantly. Ryou just shook his head, set an index finger over his lips, and went back to wiping the dried blood on me off. For some odd reason, the very air in the bedroom seemed to grow thick and tense, creating a wave of anxiety between the silvery-haired child and his counterpart. I watched their nervousness expand with silent wonder, contemplating what the millennium spirit meant by his last phrase. It was likely that I had misjudged the spirit of the ring, but I couldn't truly believe the insinuation he had made. Did he mean to tell me that someone had tried to take advantage of him, too? Just what was he getting at? And why wouldn't he tell me the rest of what he was thinking?

Grabbing the Millennium Puzzle at the base of my throat, Yami Bakura pulled the trinket from my neck. "It's him. I know it's him."

"Yugioh?" asked Ryou breathlessly, surprised at what he heard. "Are you sure it's him this time?"

Yami's head moved up and down slowly, his eyes glazed over in an ocean of his own memories.

"You shouldn't get involved in this, then." stated the younger child, putting his arms around his millennium spirit. 

Snapping out of his reverie, Yami Bakura countered, "I have to. It's the only way I'll be able to put the past behind me."

"No!" objected the green-eyed boy, his emotions quite hostile. "I won't let you! You could get hurt!"

"I already _am_ hurt by what happened, hikari."

"You're placing your health, your mental stability, even your life at stake!" 

"I know. I have to stop him before he does this to anyone else."

"But--But--" the silvery-haired adolescent sputtered, appearing to be more terrified than his Yami.

I could see that Ryou was losing this argument. In a tender fashion that made my heart ache, the millennium spirit beckoned his sweet counterpart close to him with outstretched arms. Stifling a cry, my classmate accepted the open invitation of affection and fell into the spirit's grasp. Only in my dreams had I witnessed such love and sincerity, where two soul mates embrace each other in an unspoken bond of total adoration. Flicking his young counterpart's tear away, the spirit of the ring dispelled all of Ryou's troubled thoughts.

"Dear One, I don't wish to worry you, but you know this is something I have to do on my own. Do not mourn for me, since I will put all of this mayhem and chaos to rest. Yugi's millennium spirit needs to be put in his place. If I don't do it, then he's just going to keep hopping from one location to another, feasting on the low self-esteem of other children similar to our friend here. You don't want that, Ryou, I know you don't."

"You're right, I don't." sniffed the small teenager, agreeing with what he was listening to.

"That's why I must take care of Yugioh once and for all so that this will all be done with. That way," concluded Yami Bakura, gazing directly into his Hikari's eyes, "we can move on and put this entire nasty mess behind us. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Spirit. I do."

Smiling passionately at his lover, the millennium spirit stood up. "Good, then everything's settled. I'll take the Millennium Puzzle back to our house. At the stroke of midnight, I'll call the quarters to work a magic circle spell and enter into the shadow realm. I'm sure the King of games will be waiting there, since he'll be separated from his host."

"And then?" questioned Ryou, wishing to work out any kinks in their battle plan before his koi risked his life in the harsh reality of the Shadow Realm. 

"And then I'm going to take him on there. This will go past any duel monsters game either of us have ever played, so it's going to require me to use his largest weakness against him."

"Which is…?"

"Power."

"Wait, isn't power also his greatest strength?" I asked, knowing Pharaoh's greedy ways were what made it possible for him to acquire the title of the Ruler of All Duels.

"True," agreed Yami Bakura, playing with the chain connected to the puzzle. "but the other major downfall of power is pride. In order to stop your Yami cold in his tracks, I have to damage his pride so much that he'll never go after another soul again."

"That just might work." thought Ryou out loud, giving his older counterpart's idea serious thought. "After all, what have we got to lose?"

"Jou-chan." I blurted, aware of Pharaoh's next move.

"What about him?" inquired the green-eyed child, looking a bit upset that someone interrupted his thoughts.

"Jou-chan." I repeated, forcing them to look at me. "He's going after Joey. If we don't hurry, Jou will be the next person we lose to Yami."

"This is bad…" growled the spirit of the ring, lost in a maze of his own thoughts. "I had the perfect plan all set up, and now one more element gets thrown into the mix."

"We can't just let Joey fend for himself!" I moaned, disturbed by the implication that they might be considering letting Jounouchi be sacrificed to hungry Pharaoh.

"Would you settle down, already?!" hissed Yami Bakura, glaring at me with fire in his eyes. "I didn't say that we'd leave Joey to the four winds. I'm just saying this complicates things a bit."

"I say we should still go through with your idea." Ryou piped up, regarding his millennium spirit with a hard look. "That way, you get your showdown with the King of Games, Yugi's safe, and that makes everything work out all right."

"What about Joey, though?" I whined, frantic that they were forgetting about my best friend.

"That's where you come in." the silvery-haired child explained, raising a palm to quiet me. "Can you walk?"

"Yeah, I think so--"

"Okay. Since you don't live that far away from here, Yami and I will get you dressed, make you look presentable enough to go out into public, and then you're on your own. Since Bakura here needs help rounding up all the altar materials used for the Shadow realm summoning, I'm going to have to stay with him and do that. Even though our magic is strongest at midnight, we're going to have to perform the ritual as soon as we get home. That leaves you by yourself. We're counting on you to get yourself to Joey's place, warn him as best as you can, and then escape together. I know Pharaoh's going to come looking for you sooner or later, so we can't send you to a hospital or any of your usual hangouts. If we leave you in plain view, your yam's going to get you. If he does catch you, we have no way of knowing that he did, so you have to be extra careful when carrying out this plan." Ending his strategy session, he toyed with the dangling ornaments on his Millennium Ring. "Any questions so far?"

"And what if Jou doesn't believe me?" I spouted off, still apprehensive about everything out in the open.

"That's your dilemma." Ryou answered, helping himself to his feet. "All you can do is tell him what's going on. If he doesn't want to listen to you, that's his problem. Remember, your job is to get him to understand how severely important it is to pay attention to you. Like I told you before, Yami Bakura and I are going right home to set up and work the summoning spell. We can't be in two places at once, Yugi, so we're depending on you to get that message across to Joey."

"Or, you could just wait for us to tap into the Shadow Realm, hunt down Yami Yugi, and come out." said the spirit of the ring, filing one of his nails. "Of course, if Pharaoh gets to Wheeler before we're through stringing up his carcass, I'm sure the pretty perky blond's going to have hell to pay. You decide how you want to go about this. We're running out of time."

"Alright, get me dressed." I replied with grim determination, struggling to stand up. "I can't let that maniac have Joey."

"There, that's what I like to hear!" encouraged Ryou, holding me steady until I could balance on my own.

"Yes, he's a regular tiger." snorted the old spirit sarcastically.

"What should we put him in?" asked the green-eyed child, picking some lint from his clothes.

"Um, the less suspicious, the better." responded the millennium spirit, glancing around the living area. "Where's his school uniform?"

"I'll look in the bathroom." called Ryou, disappearing into the small sunshine-colored room.

"Uh, I wouldn't go in there if I were you…" I warned the small teenager, although it was too late to give him a heads up on what he would be forced to see.

Moments later, the green-eyed child backed into the bedroom, his skin pasty and pale. His eyes were glued shut, obviously disturbed by what he saw.

"You'd think I would have learned by now…" whispered poor Ryou, seeking the shelter of his yam's embrace.

"There, there, it's all right." comforted the spirit of the ring, patting his hikari compassionately. "I'm assuming that he can't put his school attire back on?"

Shaking his head vigorously, the white-haired boy replied, "Not if you want a police officer to pick him up for suspected murder."

Sighing, Yami Bakura said, "Do you guys wear the same size?"

"Pretty much." we answered in unison, cracking a smile as soon as we were done talking.

"Since I've got street clothes on underneath this class set, my hikari can loan you his school garments while he takes mine. That way, none of us will raise any questions."

Shrugging out of the traditional blue and white uniform, the millennium spirit handed his clothes to his young conterpart. Ryou, on the other hand, wasn't too keen on the idea of getting undressed in front of anyone. 

"Well, what's the hold up, Ryou-chan?" inquired his Yami, looking a tad annoyed. "We don't have all day, you know."

"I--uh--I--" stuttered the snowy-haired adolescent, blushing as he spoke.

"Oh, damnit!" swore his Yami, angry at his hikari's actions. "You pick the absolute worst time to be body shy, you know that?!"

"I'm sorry…" apologized Ryou, staring at the ground. "It's just that--well--it's hard on me, letting others see me without anything on--"

"Come on, Ryou, I've seen you naked on lots of occasions." complained the millennium spirit, his tone nasty. "What's the big deal?"

"It's me." I stammered, ashamed that I had caused a huge ruckus. "I'll turn around."

"No, you won't!" stated Yami Bakura, tossing his school uniform my way. "These will be a bit big on you, but it's going to have to do for now. We can't sit and wait for my hikari to play dress up games."

Pulling the attire on, I found the jacket to be at least a couple sizes too large. Yami's undershirt hung loosely over my skin, making the garments quite comfortable to wear. Even the pants had trouble staying up on me, and I looked like a child in my daddy's clothes. Nevertheless, the spirit of the ring was right. Time was running out, and it was either this or nothing at all.

Turning to face the two lovers, I offered them a small smile. "How do I look?"

"Cute and adorable." smiled Ryou; his eyes dancing like two of the finest stars in all of heaven.

"Like a fucking kindergarten kid." snapped Yami, smirking in spite of himself.

"Oh, now that's mature." retorted the green-eyed boy, crossing his arms in front of himself.

"I thought so." the spirit shot back, still smirking. Yawning loudly, the old counterpart said, "I do believe we should be getting home now. The spell awaits us, Ryou-chan."

"That it does." decided the white-haired adolescent, nodding his assent. "There's too much riding on this to back down." Clasping hands with me, my classmate shook it delicately. "I wish you luck, my friend."

"Thank-you." I said, returning the handshake warmly. "I know I'm going to need it. Oh, and good luck to you two as well."

Yami Bakura waved me off. "Thanks, kid. You'd better be getting along yourself."

The both of them vanished into the hallway, leaving as mysteriously as they had arrived. Usually I could tell where someone was in the house by the sound of their footsteps. On this occasion, I couldn't hear a single pitter-patter on the floorboards, no matter how hard I listened for them. Ryou and Yami Bakura were two of a kind, as mystical and enigmatic as the millennium items themselves. All of a sudden, I thanked my lucky stars for having friends like those. They were there when I needed them the most, and I appreciated it all so very much. And then there was Joey, who had been there for me since kindergarten…as the seriousness of the situation continued to haunt me, I realized what my first priority was. I had to find him. I had to get to Jou-chan, or Yami would…Pushing the grisly thoughts from my mind, I raced down the stairs and out the door. The sunlight that hit my face was disorienting, I was in total need of a decent meal and weeks of sleep, but I pushed all of my selfish needs aside. Joey needed me now. As I picked up my running pace, the only things that filled my head were thoughts of my best friend, and what would happen if I somehow failed him.

__

/I can't let that happen! / my mind cried, throbbing with the beginnings of a migraine. _/I won't! I won't let Yugioh win this match! /_

This was one event that I had to win. Promising myself victory at the end of the long, dark tunnel, I dodged streetwalkers left and right to reach my destiny ahead.

__

To be continued in Breaking Point, already available to read…


End file.
